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Question ID: WS-100
Submitted by: Ercole Cavalieri
June 28, 2011

Can endogenous estrogens become chemical carcinogens? BACKGROUND: One of the major pathways in the metabolism of estrogens is their oxidation to catechol estrogens and then to catechol estrogen quinones. When this metabolism becomes unbalanced, an excessive amount of quinones is formed. One of them, the catechol-3,4-quinone, is predominantly responsible for reacting with DNA to form estrogen-DNA adducts that can initiate critical mutations leading to cancer. FEASIBILITY: Studies can be conducted in cultured cells and human subjects to investigate the relationship between formation of estrogen-DNA adducts, cell transformation and human cancer. IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH: By understanding the role of endogenous estrogens in the initiation of cancer, strategies for cancer prevention can be devised.

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